KozMos AutoTableX-CellSuite

  Modify-tool-package for AcDbTable and cells

        AutoTableX-CellSuite contain 11 commands:

• ExMatch
  ExMatch can match content and properties between cells.
• ExMerge
  We can process advanced merge/unmerge with many control options by ExMerge.
• ExAnno
  The common operation in cell content can be done within ExAnno including the sequent annotations.
• ExColRow
  Process column/row with more options than AutoCAD.
• ExWFact
  Set unique width factor to cell contents.
• ExModi
  Call AutoCAD properties modifier when cell(s) is selected.
• ExSwap
  Run an Excel-homologous copy & paste of AcDbTable cells by group or by column or by row.
• ExCombo
  Split or combine existing AcDbTable(s).
• VFColor
  Set the virtual-fill color for AcDbTable in AutoCAD.
• ExAttr
  Modify attributes in blocks in AcDbTableBlockCell.
• ExHideCell
  Switch the appearance of AcDbTable cell content.
• ExAlign
  Change the cell Alignment and margins (Horizontal and Vertical).

 EXMATCH

         EXMATCH is a FREE command!

        AutoCAD native MATCHCELL command can only match the cell properties between destination cells and the source cell. EXMATCH directly use this command and is enhanced to be able to process a content matching between cells.
        A dialog will appear each time calling EXMATCH, users must make a choice on the processing mode.

        EXMATCH also support BlockCell type. If a BlockCell is indicated as the source, the block will be duplicated into the destination cell(s) as well as the normal content(s).

        In AutoCAD2008, MATCHCELL command will unmerge cells if a merged cell is indicated as destination. EXMATCH while automatically merge the cells back after calling MATCHCELL internally.

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         Merging cells is a  very important operation for AcDbTable cells. EXMERGE can perform an enhanced merge/unmerge and simplify the operation. Features in EXMERGE:

• Auto-switch on Merge and Unmerge:
  Pick a single cell will be prompted to merge with other cells; pick a merged cell will automatically unmerge it.
  Merge a single cell with existing merged cells is permitted.
• Processing contents in merging cells:
  Only the content of the top-left cell will be remained while calling AutoCAD merge. EXMERGE will provide more options on the contents: EXMERGE may try to find a non-null string in all contents. So if the top-left cell is empty, we still can record a valid string. This is as same as in Excel. If multiple strings are found, they can be joined together by an indicated string.
• Processing contents in unmerging cells:
  AutoCAD unmerge will only put content to the top-left cell. Using EXMERGE will enable us to divide the contents into many cells by column or row.

        Options in EXMERGE dialog:

• Column/Row join/detect order:
      EXMERGE will scan cells one by one to find the proper content strings. If a cell range contain more than one column and/or more than one row, the order of column and row will be very important. We can set the scan order in dialog directly.
• Cell fill:
      If a valid cell is indicated by picking a point within the cell, AutoTableX support virtual-filling a colored solid in the cell to indicate it. This solid color can be set by user in this dialog.
      Cell fill color will take effects for all AutoTableX commands.
• Content join/divide mode:
      If multiple contents are detected in multiple cells, we can use the linefeed ("\P") or a pre-defined character to join them, content can also be divided by the same character oppositely.
• Merge options:
      The Merge options focus on content join:
  • AutoCAD default merge will use R1C1 content;
  • An Excel simulated merge will use 1st detected non-null content;
  • EXMERGE can join all content by a pre-set character;
  • EXMERGE can empty the content in merged cell
• UnMerge options:
      The Merge options focus on content division:
  • AutoCAD default unmerge will fill content in R1C1 cell;
  • EXMERGE can fill content into all sub-cells;
  • EXMERGE can divide the contents by a pre-set character into columns;
  • EXMERGE can divide the contents by a pre-set character into rows

CELL FILL IN ACDBTABLE:
    If we indicate some cells or entire column/row cells, AutoTableX-CellSuite can fill an virtual ACI color in the cells to give prominence to the AutoCAD users so that they can be distinguished form other cells easily.
    All AutoTableX commands sipport CELL FILL, the cell fill color can be defined within EXMERGE or by free command VFCOLOR.

KNOWN LIMITATION:
    EXMERGE was enhanced very far away, a single cell can directly merge with an existing merged cell. And existing merged cells can be included within the range of merged cells. But this operation is NOT so stable and may crash AutoCAD sometimes, so an extra and safe-guaranteed switch is added in EXMERGE to SAVE the drawing before running any actually merge or unmerge.

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         Filling contents in AcDbTable is not very convenient. In most situations, we have to type the content one by one in AcDbTable cells if they are not same (If the contents are same, we can simply use property palette to fill quickly).
        Modify cell contents is also a cumbering task because we often have to change them one by one even we know some simple discipline among the contents by columns or rows.

        EXANNO will help AutoCAD users in this situation. EXANNO contain three parts focus on different content operations on AcDbTable cells:

• CharAnno:
      CharAnno can process common character operations such as adding prefix, suffix, characters substitution etc.
• StripAnno:
      AcDbTable use MTEXT as cell content. The MTEXT control characters (\P; \A; \O etc) will also be there within cell contents. StripAnno can throw away the control characters (some or all, according to the settings) as well as the normal MTEXT outside AcDbTable.
• SeqAnno:
      Tables always contain index of sequent numbers such as "A-1" "A-2" "A-3" within rows or columns. Enter the number one by one in AcDbTable is really a boring and terrible job. SeqAnno can help us to fill the correct contents in correct cells just by setting some basic parameters in dialog.   

        SeqAnno can process selected digit or all digits in string, control the calculation on the *AutoCell* or not. We can set the precision and total string length in integer parts (by add prefix "0") of the calculation result.

        SeqAnno is the main design part in EXANNO. SeqAnno support the following control parameters:

• On all numbers:
      If the content string contains more than one number ("abc123abc456.123zzz" is a good example, there are two numbers: 123 and 456.123), this option can control if all the digits will be processed. In most situations, calculated numbers are selected directly  from the string analysis list.
• Enable on *AutoCell*
      *AutoCell* means use the content of Left-Top (R1C1) cell.
      If we select *AutoCell* as the string analysis list, this option will control if we process the calculation on the  *AutoCell* or not.
      While *AutoCell* is selected, the processing digits may not be able to be selected. The string MUST be picked from graphic screen if we need to indicate the digits to process (This means we can NOT use *AutoCell*).
• Function:
      Calculation functions: Add, Subtract, Multiple and Divide.
• With:
      This is a number to calculate with.
• Precision:
      The precision of the calculation result value.
• Digits:
      Digits mean the string length of the integer part of the result value. For example, if we choose "###" with a result of "12.34", it will be changed into "012.34", but "1233.4" will still be "1233.4".

        AutoTableX support processing picked cells or a cells range by two corner cells. while processing cells range, a virtual colored solid will fill the first picked cell. 

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         EXCOLROW is a FREE command!

        Most column/row operations are hidden in the right-key menu when a cells range in activated, EXCOLROW will try to provide AutoCAD users a familiar way processing the column/row operations such as Delete and Insert.

        Equal size on column or row has three options:

• As maximum
  Use the maximum value of column width or row height.
• As minimum
  Use the minimum value of column width or row height.
• As average
  Use the average value of column width or row height.

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          EXWFACT is a FREE command!

          In so many situations, it is hard to adjust the font width factor of cell content because the MTEXT can contain the width factor information itself. EXWFACT can help AutoCAD users to adjust the width factor or remove all existing width factor settings globally.
        If the new width factor is 1, EXWFACT will remove all existing width factor information on contents in cell contents (Same result as remove "W" option in EXANNO-StripAnno).

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          EXMODI is a FREE command!

          After some cells is selected by user, EXMODI will start the AutoCAD PROPERTIES tool palette so that users can modify the cells globally. If there is not any cells selected, EXMODI will prompt an alert message.

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EXSWAP

          In Microsoft Excel, we can use system clipboard to copy cells between different spreadsheets, it is obviously impossible valid for AcDbTables, but with the aids of ATX-CellSuite-ExSwap, we can make it more nearly as we normally doing so in Excel while processing the AcDbTables in AutoCAD.

          ATX-CellSuite-ExSwap support three operation mode on cells' content and/or properties and can process a range of cells or entire cell column or row:

• Copy cells
  The source cells will be duplicated in the destination position, if advanced setting [Clear contents in SOURCE cells] is active, al contents of the source cells will be set to null.
  Copy cells support multiple destination positions so that we can copy the source cells to many defferent positions.
• Move cells
  The source cells will be moved to the destination position. The source cells' properties will be moved to destination cells as well as the contents and the source cells will be keep their properties and contents will be set to null.
• Swap cells
  The source cells and the destination cells can be swaped each other. This is a very useful utility (and it is why this command is named as EXSWAP) in daily applications on AcDbTables.

FORMULA MOVE:

        Formula move in EXSWAP means the cellID auto-change in formula syntax while move the cells. For example, if we copy the cell "=SUM(A1:A4)" from Column A to column C, the formula will automatically changed into "=SUM(C1:C4)". This is as same as in Excel.

CELL ABERRANCE: VIRTUAL CELLS:
    EXSWAP use the LEFT-TOP cell to define the destination cells. As we know the column and row number of source cells, we did NOT need the user to define the total destination cells because the destination cells must match the same column and row number of the source cells. EXSWAP can do this automatically.
    The AcDbTable has borders, this means the digits of AcDbTable column and row are real integer, there is a REAL limit in AcDbTable. For example, we can not operate cell (12, 12) to an AcDbTable contain 6 column and 8 rows because cell (12, 12) does NOT exist in that AcDbTable. If we copy a source cells with 12 column or rows, the "CELL ABERRANCE" will occurred, in this situations, we call these non-existing cells as "VIRTUAL CELLS".
    All VIRTUAL CELLS will be ignored by EXSWAP.

EXTRA CELLS:
    EXTRA CELLS will only appear while EXSWAP running on different AcDbTables by column or by row because the two different AcDbTables may have different columns and rows. If we copy or move from a SMALL AcDbTable to a BIG one, there will be some cells in BIG AcdbTable can not match the corresponding source cells. We call these cells "EXTRA CELLS". There are only two ways to operate these extra cells: Keep them alone there or clear the contents.

EXTRA CELL AND VIRTUAL CELL DEMONSTRATION:
     The right picture shows how the extra cells and virtual cells occurred.
    If we copy YELLOW source cells (total 9 cells) from AcDbTable1 to AcDbTable2,  there will be only 6 located in AcDbTable2, the other 3 virtual cells are outside the table (Shown as BLUE cells in AcDbTable2).
    If we copy one row from AcdbTable1 to AcDbTable2, there will be 2 more extra cells in AcDbTable2 that can not found the corresponding cells in AcDbTable1 (show as RED cells in AcDbTable2).

        There are also five important advanced switches in EXSWAP:

• Match cells' properties
  All cell's properties such as background color, content color, content alignment, content style, content height will also be passed from source cell to destination cells among with the contents transfer.
• Run Multiple (copy only)
  This will enable the cell contents and/or properties be copied to many different target cells. The Left-Top cell will be the symbol cell of the destination cells (by group or by column or by row). The program will then start the data transferring based on this symbol cell. If the source cell. Please notice that if the target VIRTUAL cell's properties such as background color, content color, content alignment, content style, content height will also be passed from source cell to destination cells among with the contents transfer.
• Run between DIFFERENT AcdbTables
  We can running EXSWAP between different AcdbTable as same as we can do in Excel. If this switch is OFF, EXSWAP will force the destination cells and source cells to be in same AcDbTable.
• Clear content(s) in SOURCE cell(s)
  This will clear the contents of source cells. If the source cells are MOVED, the contents in former positions will be clear automatically.
• Clear content(s) in EXTRA cell(s)
  This will clear the contents of EXTRA cells if they can be detected.

CELL PROPERTIES' LOST IN SWAP:

        Swap may cause some lost of cell properties, as the routine will match the destination cell with the source cell, then the former cell properties of destination cell will be lost. Match the destination cell with source cell will not take any change in source cell as the cell properties are same already.

SPECIAL NOTICE AND KNOWN LIMITATIONS:

        EXSWAP support CELL FILL in AutoCAD. But the filled ACI color MUST be defined within EXMERGE dialog.
        EXSWAP is very new and may still need more evaluation to  ensure the correctness.

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          EXCOMBO is designed to SPLIT or COMBINE AcDbTable(s). This will make it more easy processing multiple AcDbTables. EXCOMBO can split an AcDbTable just by picking a border line of a nested cell in AcDbTable, and the source AcDbTable will be cut into two small AcDbTables and maintain the former location just as the source AcDbTable.

          EXCOMBO provide very useful options to combine two AcDbTables into a big one. There are two AcDbTables id needed, the first is the source AcDbTable and another is the combined AcDbTable. We can attach the combined AcDbTable with the source one by column (attached from the right) or by row (attached from bottom). EXCOMBO is far away intelligent that all cells in combined AcDbTable will be re-built in the source AcDbTable as well as the merged cells' information and all cell properties.

OPERATIONAL NOTICE TO COMBINE ACDBTABLES:
    Because AutoCAD MATCHCELL will be used in the combination operation, so make sure that the combined AcDbTable is away from the source AcDbTable after the combined cells is added. If the two AcDbTabls are superposition each other, transferring the cell properties may cause unknown and/or unexpected results.

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          VFCOLOR is an additional command for AutoTableX-CellSuite.

          VFCOLOR is designed to enable AutoTableX users to select the virtual-fill color without calling EXMERGE command. Calling VFCOLOR will display a standard AutoCAD color select dialog. After choosing a color, the command will save the new settings and it will take effects next time calling any AutoTableX-Cellsuite commands.

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          EXATTR is FREE command!

          EXATTR will only work on BlockCells containing attribute(s). As we can use AutoCAD native DDATTE command to edit the attribute in block, but DDATTE will fail if the block is in an AcDbTable cell. TABLEDIT can edit the block name and the possible attributes also, but we MUST pass the block change dialog so that the DDATTE-Similar dialog appear will appear. EXATTR is designed to skip the change block name dialog on this situation.
          By picking a point in the BlockCell which contain attribute, we will be able to edit all  the attributes in block, when we close the standard DDATTE dialog, block attribute(s) in AcDbTable BlockCell will be updated.

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          EXHIDECELL is FREE command!

          EXHIDECELL can switch the appearance of the AcDbTable cell content(s) simply by picking point(s) in the cell(s). The cells can be processed individually or by group.
          Please note that only cells with non-empty content will be hidden or unhidden, if the cell content is empty, routine will ignore it.

          Editing the cell content by native TABLEDIT command may destroy the content disappearance. But this is different within AutoCAD2006 (AutoCAD2007) and AutoCAD2008:

• AutoCAD2006 and AutoCAD2007:
  If a hidden content cell was picked, all content disappearance within the AcDbTable will be removed.
• AutoCAD2008+:
  Only picked single cell will be displayed.

          Due to the above reason, the dialog will only appear in AutoCAD2008, in AutoCAD2006 and AutoCAD2007, the processing mode was set to "Single" and restore the appearance is de-activated.

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        EXALIGN is used to set the alignment and margins to individual AcDbTable cells.

        The Horizontal margin and Vertical margin can both be changed individually. EXALIGN support four different changing types:

• Clear margin
  The margin will automatically be set to 0.0
• Margin as cell text height
  The margin will use the cell text height
• Percentage of cell width/height
  The margin will be calculated based on cell height (for Vertical margin) or cell width (for Horizontal margin). The value entered in Data blank will be used. Basically, it should be number between 0 and 100.
• Enter margin value
  We can set the real margin value in Data blank.

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//Koz Jono Yeoh//

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